I'm Back!

Sorry everyone for not posting anything for awhile.  I got caught up with the break at home in AZ.

For those that don't know, since Oct. 1 and the shutdown I have been staying at my Dad's in Phoenix.  While most of it has been relaxing, we did take a trip up to the Flagstaff area and have done some odds and ends things while I waited for the parks to reopen.

Now that they are open, I will be doing what I can of my remaining trip.  Since I still wanted to be home by Nov 1, it will be shorter than originally planned.  I only have 5 days until I meet up with my brother and family in San Luis Obispo, CA.  In that time I will swing through the 5 Utah parks, some of the most famous in the country.  Unfortunately, I will have to skip the 4 parks in Colorado and Great Basin in Nevada (for now).  I will only spend about a day in each park, which is less than ideal, but it will give me a taste and motivation to return.

I probably won't update again until I am back in Davis.  Thanks everyone who has followed my trip and I hope you were able to get a bit of the enjoyment of it.

The Big Bend

Quick update before I head into Guadalupe Mountains.  I'll post pictures of Big Bend in a few days.

The 3 days I spent in Big Bend were fairly full, and were exactly what you imagine when you think of the desert.  Big Bend sits right on the Rio Grande River, and therefore the Mexican Border.  The biggest highlight of the trip was simply the scenery.  The first few nights I camped in Chisos Basin, in the middle of some spectacular rock cliffs.  It was by far the prettiest campground I have been in on the trip.  I took a hike to Lost Mine Peak as well, which offered great views.

The next day I headed to the eastern end of the park, right on the river.  Instead of going straight there, I took a roundabout way along the primitive Old Ore Road.  It was a pretty hairy road with constant steep hills, sandy washes and rock ledges in the road.  A few times I had to get out to survey the road before I continued on.  It was a fun experience, but I don't think I would want to drive the road regularly.  The afternoons were warm (low to mid 90s) so I usually settled into camp by 2 or 3.

At night, though, I would go driving along the roads looking for snakes, just like I used to do as a kid.  The park was deserted (heh) and it was rare to even see a car on the road after dark.  And I had a lot of success, both at night and in the morning.  I saw a total of 8 snakes, including 5 different species.  The rattlesnakes were much more feisty here, and they would rear up and rattle like crazy when they saw me.

I spent my last day in the western, more remote section of the park.  During the day, I got to witness lots of different wildlife: tarantulas, giant millipedes, roadrunners, and even a few groups of javelina.  The heat kept me in the shade in the afternoon, but it was still fun.  And, I had the campground that night all to myself.  This morning, I got to experience a bit of the desert rains (right as I was taking the tent down too) before heading out.  Now, I'm on my way North to Guadalupe Mountains NP, just south of the New Mexico border.  Carlsbad Caverns are only 45 minutes away, so I will hit both parks while I'm there.  Then on the 1st, I make my way to Phoenix and my dad's for a much needed break (hopefully not too long of a break as long as the govt doesn't shut down).

Cold Caves and Hot Water

Here's a two for the price of one post!  I just finished with Hot Springs National Park and before that, Mammoth Caves.

Cave Entrance

Signatures in the cave, some almost 200 years old.

I found Mammoth Cave to be really cool: it wasn't too crowded and the caverns were really impressive.  Given that its hard to take a picture of a giant empty cavern, and that flash wasn't allowed, I don't have any great pictures, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  I spent two full days at the caverns, longer than I expected, but it was worth it.  The first day I got to take a couple of the more basic tours.  One took me through the natural entrance to the cave down all the way to the bottom where the underground river (River Styx is flowing.  There isn't much flow and you can't get close enough to see the cave fish, but it was still cool to see a river all the way down there.  The second tour was through the "New Entrance". blasted in the early 1900's.  The highlight of this one was the Frozen Niagara, a section of cave formations which are rare in Mammoth.

Salamander friend

The second day I took a couple of the less popular tours.  Both would be by lantern light this time, too, which added to the experience.  The first one was actually in a smaller nearby cave, Great Onyx, and had more formations and lots of white Gypsum crystal covering the walls (200 years of tours and use by Native Americans had stripped or tarnished all the Gypsum in the main caves).  The second tour followed a similar route from the natural entrance.  But with kerosene lanterns and a rather eccentric guide telling stories, it was a very unique experience.  That night, rain storms soaked my campsite, which was a pain, but I did have a really cool visitor come by.  Check the picture, he's a Marbled Salamander.

Bathhouses

I then headed to Arkansas and Hot Springs National Park.  The highlight of this park are the bath houses, but me being more of a nature person, I just looked around.  I did get to drink some of the hot springs water (perfectly safe and has no taste), so maybe I'll get some of the healing effects...  This park is small and urban, and like Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio, it doesn't quite live up to the expectations of a National Park.  it was fun, but I wish there was more "nature".




I'm now in the great state of Texas.  It's starting to feel like home too; lots of familiar stores and restaurants are popping up now.  I'm heading out to Big Bend NP now, one of the more rugged and remote parks.

The Smokies

You can see why they call it The Smokies

I just finished my 3 day trip in Great Smoky Mountains NP, the most visited park in the country.  It was more crowded then I expected (and much more than any of the last few parks) but that didn't make it any less enjoyable.  The whole time I was amazed at how green the park was, much more so than the forests we have out west.  Since the trees are just starting to turn colors, the slopes were dominated by green hardwoods.

The old Mill in Cades Cove

On my first full day in the park I took the drive over the ridge and stopped at the highest peak in the park, Clingman's Dome.  Unfortunately, the top was covered in clouds, so no great views, but what I could see was nice, and I got a couple hikes in (one to the top and one to a nearby baren peak, Andrew's Bald).  Then I took a driving tour through Cades Cove, one of the most popular areas in the park.  Between the animals (deer, turkeys, coyotes) and the lush forests, as well as a visit to a historic mill site, I could see why the area was so popular.  I even got a visit from a bear in the campground that night.

GREEN!

Yesterday, I headed out to the eastern side of the park, which is much less crowded.  The Cades Cove area was crawling with people even though it was a weekday during non-peak season, and I was itching to get out on my own.  I explored some of this area and stopped at Greenbriar for lunch before camping in the Cosby Campground.  There were only a handful of people here and it was a pretty (and green) area, so I took the opportunity to relax.

I'm now continuing on to the next park, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.  I'm really heading west now, and am starting to see the end on the distant horizon.  While I'm looking forward to being home, part of me wishes I could keep doing this forever.

In the Swamp

The Boardwalk

The last couple of nights I stayed in one of the smaller and newer National Parks, Congaree, in what is one of the last old growth forests in the southern floodplains (i.e. swamp).  It was hot and humid when I got there, but my full day there was nice and cool.  The park isn't very big, so it only has one set of trails, which was my bit endeavor for the day.

This is the "trail"

The trail takes you along a boardwalk through the floodplains.  It is almost completely flat, but a change in height of a few feet made the difference between dry forest and bottom of a lake.  Near the farthest part of the 7 mile loop, an area few people traveled, the trail would dissapear among the fallen leaves.  I had a fun time scrambling around fallen trees and searching for trail markers that made the hike more interesting.  Again, the park was fairly empty, so I had the trail mostly to myself once I left the boardwalks.

Wise "Lake"

With the good weather I had, Congaree was actually more fun than I expected.  Even though it was small, it still live up to the National Park distinction (unlike another smaller park I have visited).  It was a great visit, but arachnophobes beware; I have never seen such a high concentration of big and colorful spiders.  They in the other bugs that came out at night were fine with me, as long as they stayed outside the tent.

I'm now heading to Great Smoky Mountains NP, on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, for a few days.  It is the countries busiest park, but hopefully, like the last two parks, the crowds won't be too bad.

Battlefields and the Virginia Mountains

Independence Hall

Hey everyone!  I'm on my way down to Congaree National Park in SC and figured I would update everyone on the past few days I have spent in the Northeast and beyond.  After leaving Acadia, I made a stop in Philadelphia to see Independence Hall.  I only had a couple hours there, but I managed to see the Liberty Bell and tour the inside of Independence Hall.  I thought about trying to climb around on the roof of the Hall a la National Treasure, but the amount of security there made me doubt I would be able to get away with it.  I managed to get a real Philly Cheese Steak too while I was there, which was as good as expected.  Luckily Philly was much easier to navigate (Boston and the GW Bridge in NYC were both nightmares).  I then headed East into Amish Country for the night.

Cannons at Gettysburg

Hazy Shenandoah Valley

The next day I decided to make an unplanned stop at Gettysburg to see the Civil War Memorial.  Turned out to be a great decision.  The US History buff in me had an awesome time exploring the field which is much the same as it was 150 years ago.  There were hundreds of different monuments to the different regiments (on both sides) and I found it hard to only spend 4 hours there.  I wish I had more time to explore more of the historical places in the Eastern US, but I have to keep going.

That black smudge is a bear

After my stop in Gettysburg I made my way down to Shenandoah National Park in the mountains of Virginia.  When I got there I found it...empty.  There were only a few people in the park while I was there, and it made everything more peaceful.  I spent four nights there, slowly making my way down the 105 mile Skyline Drive that runs the length of the park.  Each full day I did a hike, too, (seeing maybe one or two people on each trail).  On the first hike, I heard a rustling next to me and turn to see a black ball of fur: a bear cub!  It took me all the way to Virginia, but I finally got to see a bear.  Little did I know I would see a total of 5! of them on my hikes in the park, all young ones.  I didn't get any good pics of them though unfortunately, as they all ran off pretty quick.

Bridge in the Woods

View from Mary's Rock (I'm sitting on the edge)

Shenandoah ended up being one of my favorite parks, mostly because of how peaceful it seemed.  Good weather and few people helped, but the deep green (and hints of fall red and yellow) and the constant sounds of birds and insects made for a serene few days.  I understand now why so many people enjoy Shenandoah and wish I had two weeks to spend there.  Instead, I am now on my way to a smaller park in the South Carolina swamps, Congaree, before heading to the most popular park in the country, Great Smokey Mountains.

"Heading Back"

I have made it past the halfway point!  I spent the last few days in Acadia National Park on the Southern coast of Maine.  It was too early for the fall colors to be out yet, but the park was still very pretty.  I spent the first full day exploring the park proper, which has a 25 mile one way loop running through it.  Being right on the edge of the Atlantic in the middle of a very green forest added for some amazing scenery.  I was surprised by how different the Atlantic Ocean is; it doesn't have the big waves or salty smell that you get on the West Coast.  Although, the Maine coastline islands offered some really cool ocean views.

I also took a day to head out to Quoddy Head State Park to see the Eastern-most point in the continental US.  There was a lighthouse there (red and white like out of a story), and it was surreal to realize how far I had come in the last few months.  Then, I turned around and headed back.  From here on out, everyday I get a little closer to home.  This trip has been amazing and I am really looking forward to the second half, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit tired.

Quoddy Head Lighthouse and the edge of the US

Right now, I'm exploring some of the historical sites in Pennsylvania, like Independence Hall and Gettysburg, before heading down to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to start off a stretch of 3 parks in a row (Shenandoah, Congaree, and Great Smoky Mountains).  Then, I turn West.

Quick Update: Vermont

This one will be really quick.  The last couple of days I stayed at my grandparent's house in Northern Vermont.  It was a great stay among the many pets: dogs, chickens, cats, geese, etc.   I am so glad I was able to make it there on this trip, as I haven't been there in years.  Of course, they spoiled me while I was there.  Had some fun adventures on the farm (riding mowers are harder than they look).  I'm now on my way to Acadia NP in Maine, where I will stay for 3-4 nights.

Edit: A Picture!

Qucik Update: Cuyahoga Valley

The Turnpike over the old Erie Canal

  Just a quick one for a small park.  Cuyahoga Valley (CV) is located south of Cleveland, OH along the old Erie-Ohio Canal.  In all honesty, it probably shouldn't be called a national park; it is much smaller and more developed than any of the others I have been to.  Maybe I have just been jaded by the size and ruggedness of the more recent parks, I have been to, but I was slightly underwhelmed.  That being said, it was a very pretty area.  I only spent a few hours there, but was able to see some of the old buildings from the Industrial Revolution that still stand withing the park.  Brandywine Falls was also more impressive then I imagined.

Brandywine Falls

I will get a couple pics of the park up in a few days.  Right now, I am spending a night on the shores of Lake Ontario before heading up to Northern Vermont to see my Grandparents (step-mom's side), which I am really looking forward to as I haven't been there in a long while.  After that, it is on to Acadia NP in Maine for a few days, before I turn South and begin the second half of my trip.

Isle Royale with a Backpack

First view of Isle Royale

Hi All.  Derek and I just got finished with what will most likely be the most rugged and physically challenging part of my trip, backpacking in Isle Royale National Park.  Isle Royale is the largest island on the largest freshwater lake in the world, Lake Superior.  While part of Michigan, the island sits close to the Canadian border and can only be reached by seaplane of ferry.  Thus, there are no cars on the island (or really most modern conveniences of any kind).

On the Trail

Our "home" at Moskey Basin

Derek and I left early on the morning of the 26th on the ferry and arrived at Rock Harbor, one of two ports on the island with any semblance of civilization (like running water).  After that we hiked for 4 days, 3 nights along the southern shore of the island.  We spent the first night at the islands largest camp, Daisy Farm.  The second night though, was my favorite.  We hiked out to Moskey Basin and managed to get one of the built wooden shelters right on the water with a solid rock "patio".  It was one of the prettiest sites I had been to, and since it was a short hike from Daisy Farm the night before, we had lots of time to enjoy it.  We even got to see a river otter, lots of seabirds, and treated to a wold howl that night.

Our Furry Friends

Made it!

After our night there, we hiked 8 miles back towards the harbor and crashed for the night at Three Mile.  We managed to gain a couple furry hiking buddies who followed us for a few minutes.  Three Mile was close to the harbor, making for a short hike the next morning.  We relaxed at the Harbor for a few hours, enjoying the running water (but not willing to pay the $6! for a 5 minute shower) and shade.  All in all, we hiked 24 miles, each with 40 lbs. on our backs.  Not bad (Derek managed to get 60 miles of backpacking in this month with his Philmont trip).

The Ferry back

Now, I am going to drop Derek off at the Detroit airport, where he gets to "relax" a bit before heading off to his Freshman year at Cal Poly.  I get to continue my journey, with a few nights near Cuyahoga Valley NP in Ohio, hopefully connecting with family in Vermont, and then on to Acadia NP in Maine for the Geographical halfway point.  I am past the 50 day mark, and while the trip has been fun and a once in a lifetime experience, I am definitely starting to feel the length of it.

Quick Update: Voyageurs

Just a quick update for everyone.  Derek and I spent the last few days in Voyageurs NP in Northern Minnesota.  It is very different then the Plains we had been in for the last week; Aspen and pine, streams, and tons of lakes made for a much more lush and green landscape.  We had two full days that we spent in the park (actually more in the area of the park, as the vast majority of actual park land can only be reached by boat).  The first day we spent hiking in the forests and exploring the land along the shore of Kabetogama Lake.  The second day we rented a couple kayaks and kayaked up the Ash River to a waterfall.  We were all on our own on the river and the trip proved challenging but doable.

We are now on our way to Isle Royale, which is in the middle of Lake Superior.  We are taking the Ferry from Copper Harbor, MI early tomorrow morning, and will be backpacking around the island for three nights.  It should be a lot of fun at one of the nations most isolated parks.

The Great Plains

Hey Everyone.  Sorry I haven't updated in awhile.  I have spent the last week exploring the Great Plains.

The Badlands

After Wind Cave (see the last post), I headed to Badlands National Park, also in South Dakota.  This is one of the more well known parks because of its rather unique landscape.  The way that water carves the sandstone rock leaves behind unique striated crevices and spires.  The result is an expanse of open grassland broken by sandy ridges and plateaus.  It was one of the cooler places I have visited; you just get the urge to explore the maze like canyons for hours.  one cool hike I went on led up a wooden ladder to a cliff overlooking the plains.  And the sunsets over the plains were amazing.  Every evening the sun would turn bright red before disappearing behind a low layer of clouds.

High Plains Homestead

After a couple of nights spend in Badlands, I headed down to Nebraska, where I stayed one night at the High Plains Homestead.  I had taken a trip here around 8 or 9 years ago, and want to visit again if only for memories sake.  The highlight of the area are the fossils present in the badlands around the homestead.  I took a short hike, and was able to find a few cool bone pieces and an almost perfect snail shell.  After my night here, I head to Chadron where I joined forces with my brother, Derek, who flew into the small airport there.

Snail Fossil

The Little Missouri River

Together, we spent a layover night in Badlands again (and did a bit more exploring).   Then, it was up to North Dakota to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, named after the former president who used to live there in his young years.  The landscape there was similar to that of Badlands, but with less color variation and more vegetation.  It was still pretty though, especially around the area of the Little Missouri River.  Lots of wildlife here as well.  Among other things, we got to see a hawk become very "close" with an unfortunate Prairie Dog and a late night visit in our Campsite from a big Bison.  Over all, it is great to have Derek here for company (and to help with driving) and the last few states have been just as fun as the rest of my trips.

Petrified Forest

We are now heading out of the Plains and into Lake country.  We will spend a few nights in Voyageurs for some kayaking before heading to Michigan and ferrying over to Isle Royale for 3 nights of backpacking.

Quick update: Wind Cave

Just a quick update since I have internet.  I have added pics to the Yellowstone/ Grand Teton section, so check them out.  The last couple of days I have been in Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota.  Compared to the last few parks I had been to, this one was small, tucked away in the Black Hills.  As you imagine, it's main attraction is a huge expanse of caves underground, but in the short time I was there, I was able to see tons of wildlife as well: Bison, pronghorn, deer, elk and tons of prairie dogs.

A small glimpse of the caverns

The big guys of the plains...

I also took a couple different tours of the cave, which is different from other similar caves.  Instead of the dripping water and stalactite formations that you expect to see in a cave, it is unique in having a rare formation called Box Rock, which is only formed in old underground lakes.  It was a cool couple of tours along paths created in the 30's, and different then any of the other parks I had visited.  I wish I had been able to get better pictures though!

...and the little ones.

I'm now heading over to Badlands for a few days until my brother joins me!  Should be fun.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Sorry I haven't updated in a while.  I didn't get decent wifi in between the last few parks, so this one will be a double header.  I spent the last week and a half in two of the nations most well known parks, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton.  Both offered an amazing wildlife viewing, and the geysers and hot springs in Yellowstone are some of the best in the world.  Not to mention the views of the Teton Mountain Range are spectacular.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Lower Falls

Old Faithful being faithful

Bison playing in the mud

I started my time in Yellowstone up near the Mammoth Basin before moving farther south, closer to the main attractions of the park.  My days were spent mostly exploring the hot spring Basins and looking for wildlife.  By the afternoons, the park was hot and crowded, so most of my activities were done in the morning.  Everyone knows about Old Faithful, but I didn't realize that the Hot Springs and geysers were spread out nearly all over the park.  There are over 10,000 geothermal sites!  Between a whole day exploring the Old Faithful area and another in some of the small geyser basins, I got to see my fair share of hot water.  In addition, a few mornings I went out in search of wildlife, and was very successful.  There are more big animals in Yellowstone then you can imagine, and they are so used to people they often are right along the road.  I got to see Moose, Deer, Elk, Pronghorn and Bison all over the place.  The Bison especially, as in the plains they would cause mile long traffic jams when they decided to hang out in the road.  A couple of coyotes, hawks, and marmots made for a wide variety to.  No luck on finding bears or wolves, which would have been really cool, but that just means I have to come back someday.

Rainbow Hotspring

Cathedral Group of the Teton Range

In Grand Teton, which was a bit cooler and a lot less crowded, I was able to get out and do more exploring, both hiking and driving.  I spent one day doing a long hike along the shores of Jackson Lake with the Teton's towering in the back, and another driving along the Snake River on a tiny one lane dirt road.  I got to see a lot of the same wildlife here as in Yellowstone: moose, elk, deer, pronghorn.  However, here they were much less used to people and were always weary of my presence.  It was nice to see them in a more "natural" state, not so used to human traffic.

Huron Lake

I am now on my way to two parks right near each other in South Dakota: Wind Cave and Badlands.  Wind Cave, as you can imagine, has a large network of caverns, while Badlands highlights some of the most interesting landscape in the country.  After that Derek joins me and we head along the northern border of the US heading east.  But I can tell you more about that in my next update.  Until then!

Jackson Lake and The Grand Tetons

Rainy Days

Well, my good weather was bound to give out, and that it did while I was in Glacier.  Luckily I knew it was coming, so I was still able to do some of the things I wanted.

A View of the McDonald Valley.  My camp is down there!

Bob Posing

     As I expected Glacier has some of the best scenic views in the country, more so than any of the other parks I have been to so far.  Unfortunately, everyone else  seems to agree.  All the campgrounds filled up by late afternoon each day, meaning I always had to secure a spot before doing anything else.  So, for the first couple nights I bounced around and did a little bit of exploring around the Lake McDonald (West Side) of the park.  In the Apgar Campground, where I spend one night, I did manage to make a friend who was actually a little obnoxious as he wouldn't stop asking for food.

The North Fork Road

     The highlight of my trip was my second day in the park where I took the North Fork Road to a more isolated part of the park.  The road itself was purposely kept as an unpaved, single lane dirt road to discourage visitors and keep the area "rustic".  Well, I wasn't discouraged, and it turned out to offer some amazing views.  I camped at Bowman Lake, which had an unreal view of the lakes with the peaks behind it.  With the good weather added on to the views and fewer people, this was the best day I had in Glacier.

Lake Bowman

The Continental Divide

     Knowing a storm was coming and not wanting to move down to the middle of the park to stay at Avalanche for the final two days.  All day the dark clouds threatened, but I took the chance and went up to Logan's Pass.  The road up there is a marvel in itself; with a shear rock wall on one side and a cliff on the other, the road barely fit two cars it seemed.  Not to mention the views on the way up, especially of Heaven's Peak, were spectacular.  At the top, standing at the Continental Divide, I had a moment of profundity:  the raindrops that would soon be falling within feet of each there would end up in two different oceans thousands of miles away.

Heaven's Peak

The rain did create some cool mist in the peaks.

     With that I headed back to camp to wait for the storm to break.  Which it did around 10:30 pm.  And it rained continuously for 24 HOURS, when it finally took a short break before picking up again.  So, pretty much grounded for the day, I caught up on reading and tried to stay dry as best I could.  Saturday morning I took advantage of a lull in the rain to pack camp (not that it mattered as everything was already soaked).  Tomorrow it is off to Yellowstone and Grand Teton, where I may not get rid of the crowds but at least will be drier (*knock on wood*).